Rakhine State

Rakhine State, formerly known as Arakan, is a state in southwestern Burma, with Sittwe serving as its capital. Rakhine society began in 3325 BC and continued for 227 native monarchs and princes until 1784, when Burma conquered the kingdom. After the end of the First Anglo-Burmese War in 1826, Rakhine State was ceded to British India, and the British made Sittwe the provincial capital. From 1942 to 1943, the Arakan region was embattled during World War II, and, after the war's end and Burmese independence, Rakhine State was again embattled during the Burmese Civil War. The two major conflicts were between Rakhine secessionists and the Burmese government and a religious conflict between the Buddhist majority and the Muslim Rohingya minority. In 2014, Rakhine State had a population of 4,188,807 people.